The Letter
by popping corn
Summary: A letter found years later, hidden under the mattress of his old bedroom at Grimmauld Place. A letter from Regulus Black to Sirius Black.


This is my second story, and I would really appreciate some feedback. I am also looking for a beta if anyone is interested please email me or leave a review in either of my stories, please include your age, whether you go to school/ college/ uni, what you are currently studying, where you live and how much time you can dedicate.

Summary: A letter found years after, hidden under the mattress of his old bedroom at Grimmauld Place. A letter from Regulus Black to Sirius Black.

Rating to be safe.

No ships.

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Sirus,

I know that you have no intentions of ever returning here, but sometimes circumstances change our intentions and perhaps you will find yourself here one day in the future; for this reason I leave this here on the off chance that you will return at a subsequent time. I feel it prudent to warn you that this letter will contain things that were you to confront me on I would vehemently deny and for this reason I find myself in a warded room not even daring to read it out loud for even the walls have ears, however the time has come for me to explain and all I ask from you is to read to the end.

I know that you told me of this, that you warned me, but I was already in too deep to turn back.

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_Flashback_

"Stay away from them, please Regulus."

Regulus' eyes narrowed at his Gryffindork brother, "Or what? You'll beat me up? Turn my robes pink? Hang me upside-down?"

Sirius gave a nervous laugh, "No, of course not, you're my brother, that's got to count for something yeah?"

He didn't reply.

"Please, you don't understand what they're capable of, you'll be expendable just another slave to use and toss away once your usefulness is over, you'll have to prove yourself so often you'll always be on your toes, one day you'll be asked to do something you cant and then what? What will you do? Please Regulus."

"You're lying, I'll have power, I'll be getting rid of mudbloods and mudblood lovers like you. You'll see Sirius _you're_ the one making a mistake."

"Mudbloods? Regulus, is that the best you can come up with? Come on grow up! This is ridiculous, some of the best wizards in history were muggleborn or half-blood, without them we would have died out centuries ago or become so inbred we'd look like bloody house elves. I know you don't like mudbloods but does it give you the right to kill them? Does it? No it doesn't, people can't help who they're born to, just like I can't help being a Black and you can't help being my brother. Please Regulus, don't do this, I know you hate me, I know you don't give a shit what happens to me but I care what happens to you and if you're only going to listen to one thing I ever tell you please listen to me on this. I don't want you to be put into a position you can't back out of-"

"I've made my choice," replied Regulus, turning his back to his brother and rubbing his left forearm self-consciously. In any normal circumstance he would never turn his back to anyone; it gave an enemy too many opportunities to curse you and was probably one of the most important of the unspoken rules of the Slytherin house, but Sirius was different, Sirius was the one and only person he trusted implicitly, he knew that Sirius would never do anything to purposely harm him, humiliate him maybe but purposely hurt? Never.

Sirius sighed deeply, "Fine."

Regulus turned around, the disappointed look in his brother's face was mingled with something else; he had never seen his brother look so… defeated, vulnerable almost. Regulus left the room, head held high, stubborn expression set on his face, but in the empty corridor he let his mask fall and shoulders slump, "I'm so sorry Sirius," he whispered to the darkness.

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You are probably aware by now that I joined the deatheaters looking for honour, power and glory; in hindsight I find that I have achieved none of these, I find myself an expendable slave doing a half-blood's bidding. T.M. Riddle. Familiar?

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Two brothers glaring at trophies on opposite sides of the room, mumbling curses under their breath at each other and at the dour old caretaker who had set them detention in this room cleaning trophies together. Several hours passed in silence and suddenly, seemingly for no reason whatsoever, both turned to face each other in odd synchronisation glaring all the while. Suddenly the elder burst out laughing and the younger unable to contain himself followed, nervously at first and then full belly laughs echoed around the room the tension broken followed by an awkward silence.

"Bloody T.M. Riddle eh?" Smirked the elder.

"Yeah I must've cleaned that one about fifty times now." Replied the younger mirroring his brother's smirk.

"Head boy, Prefect, Top-Ten OWLs, NEWTs, Special Services to the School, sounds like an all time geek to me."

"Did he even have a social life?"

The elder peered more closely at one of the awards, "Slytherin. Well he was a slimy Slytherin so probably planning world domination or something," he said smirking.

Regulus glared, "Better a Slytherin than a Gryffindork."

Sirius grinned, "Imagine this," he said, lifting his arms and spreading his palms, moving them across some invisible lettering, "Lord T.M. Riddle."

Regulus snorted, "Or even better, The _Dork_ Lord T.M. Riddle."

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Ironic? No? But I suppose my real tale begins in this very house, in the Black library, the summer after fourth year, the summer you left to be with Pothead. I suppose I've never realised how much I resented you for leaving me there but my mistakes far outweigh yours and I think that in time I have forgiven you for it, I only hope you can extend your forgiveness to me.

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15 year old Regulus Black sat in his usual chair in the Black library; he could hear the sounds of his parents and Sirius arguing across the hall. Sirius was always so brave, always saying what he thought even though his mother cursed him for it and his father beat him, preferring the hands-on method of causing pain, Regulus supposed that it made it much more personal, after all anyone could pick up a wand and curse someone else from afar but "hands-on" was much closer and personal. He hated this, they were always picking on Sirius, and he knew it was unfair but to get involved would be suicide on his part and Sirius would end up paying for it. He rose from his chair quickly and grabbed a book from the top shelf, set it down on the table and began to read trying to block out the sounds that sounded suspiciously like whip cracks coming from the other room.

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The book I had picked at random turned out to be a book on soul magics; an ancient handwritten volume, falling apart at the seams, magics so twisted that I read with horrified fascination, unable to tear my eyes from it; Mother was ever so pleased at my choice of reading material. Perhaps it was fate that made me pick up that book on that day, fate that kept me reading and fate that found me witnessing a practical demonstration of '_thine rituale to split thee soule,' _two years after disguised as a familiar bonding ritual on a deatheater celebratory evening following a successful raid. This more than anything else flared all the doubts I had regarding my service to the Dark Lord. It is unfortunate of course that he noticed my wavering loyalty and set me a task I could not, _would _not complete.

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"Regulus"

"My Lord," he replied, bending to kiss the hem of the Dark Lord's robes, furiously trying to remember the intricacies of occlumency as taught to all the Black children from the age of six.

"What is our task in this revolution, Regulus?"

"To elevate the pureblood status and prevent dirty blood polluting our cleaner lines."

"And what of blood traitors and mudblood lovers?"

"We eliminate them, My Lord."

"Precisely Regulus, which is why I give you the honour of eliminating the Black traitor."

"My…My Lord, what is it that you ask of me?"

Voldemort fixed him with a cold stare, "Kill Sirius Black."

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I know that we have not always seen eye to eye and that we have had our fair share of disagreements and arguments and although I've had more than my fair share of mistakes and regrets, I will not become a kin slayer and for this I will pay with my life but I intend to make sure that I have not lived in vain and I shall be setting off to embark on a long and difficult voyage; I wish to seek and destroy the objects holding the Dark Lord's soul, I will destroy him as he has destroyed me and all hopes I have for the future. I am not doing this out of nobility but for vengeance - it is revenge I seek. At present I have only vague ideas of what and where they are hidden; I shall leave the snake for last to avoid tipping him off before I set the wheels in motion. I do wonder though what dear old mother would say with two of her sons gone astray.

My dearest brother I hope you understand what I have done and the sacrifices I have made to try to atone for them, I hope that in time you can forgive me and grow old free of the war and telling stories to your grandchildren of the good times we shared when we were innocent and naïve.

With all sincerity,

Your Brother,

Regulus Alphard Black

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Please review.

If I get enough of a response and demand I may write a back story to this. Please let me know if you are interested.

I am also looking for a beta, if anyone is interested please email me or leave a review in either of my stories, please include your age, whether you go to school/ college/ uni, what you are currently studying, where you live and how much time you can dedicate


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